Citroën introduces Cara its AI-powered assistant that could soon equip our cars worldwide

Over the past few months, I have regularly discussed Citroën's new strategy in India, a crucial market where the brand is re-engaging with a renewed and ambitious approach. The "C-Cubed" program is materializing through a range of more competitive and better-equipped models, tailored to local expectations while preserving Citroën's unique DNA. The first milestone of this offensive was the C3 X sedan, whose strengths I recently detailed as a compelling offering for a broad customer base. Today, Citroën has lifted the veil on the second model of this new era, the Basalt X, a bold SUV coupé that I will cover in detail very soon. However, the most surprising and perhaps most promising announcement for us globally is not the vehicle itself, but a technology it debuts: "Cara," an onboard, conversational personal assistant powered by artificial intelligence. This is a major innovation that could very well redefine our interaction with future Citroën vehicles.

Cara, an intelligent co-pilot developed in India

Introduced as India's first fully conversational in-car automotive assistant, "Cara" is far more than a simple evolution of the voice commands we are familiar with. A significant point of pride for the brand, and for the Stellantis group, is that this cutting-edge technology was entirely developed in India at the Stellantis tech center in Bengaluru. This engineering hub specializes in developing artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies for the group's global products. The Cara assistant fundamentally differs from other systems through its ability to merge two worlds. On one hand, it manages predefined vehicle-related commands, such as opening a window, adjusting the air conditioning, or checking the fuel level. On the other, it deeply integrates with web services and AI to respond to complex, contextual queries.

For instance, imagine asking your car: "Is my flight to Paris on time, what time should I leave for the airport, and do I have enough fuel?" Where a standard assistant would simply search for the flight status online, Cara goes much further. The assistant will check the fuel level in the car's systems, use your phone's geolocation, analyze real-time traffic conditions, and consult your flight's status to provide a comprehensive itinerary and an optimal departure time. It is this ability to cross-reference the vehicle's internal data with external information that makes it so powerful. During initial demonstrations, the system proved to be highly responsive and capable of providing the necessary information while understanding the context. Even more impressively, Shailesh Hazela, CEO of Stellantis India, mentioned that Cara can detect the tone of your voice. If you speak to it in an aggressive manner, it will identify your frustration and adapt its response with a more calming tone, marking another step towards a more natural and empathetic human-machine interaction.

A global technology destined for all Stellantis brands

Some of you may recall me mentioning the integration of ChatGPT into the voice assistant of certain Citroën models a few months ago, which already expanded conversational possibilities. With Cara, the brand is taking a significant leap forward. This is no longer just about adding a layer of conversational AI; it is about having a system natively designed for the automobile, capable of communicating with all the vehicle's components. This native integration is the key to its performance and relevance, transforming the car into a truly proactive travel companion. The best news in all of this is that the system was not designed solely for the Indian market.

Shailesh Hazela was very clear on this point: "If any of our brands want to use Cara in their vehicles, the system is ready to be configured." This statement is highly significant. It confirms that Cara is a global platform, developed to be easily adapted and deployed across all Stellantis brands and markets. The system already supports 52 regional Indian and international languages, with more to be added soon. Customers will even have the option to rename the assistant, giving it a more personal touch. We can therefore reasonably assume that its arrival in European models from Citroën, as well as Peugeot, DS, Opel, or Fiat, is only a matter of time. Such technological synergy within the group allows for significant economies of scale while rapidly offering a breakthrough innovation to a vast number of customers.

In conclusion, the introduction of the Cara assistant is a powerful signal on multiple levels. Firstly, it demonstrates Stellantis's ability to leverage its global competence centers, in this case its Indian technology hub, to develop world-class innovations. Secondly, the choice to debut this major technology on a Citroën model, the Basalt X, reflects the group's confidence in the brand to spearhead its advancements. It is proof that Citroën is not only a brand of distinctive design and unparalleled comfort but remains, in its DNA, a deeply innovative one. By positioning itself at the forefront of in-car artificial intelligence, Citroën is doing more than modernizing its image; it is preparing for the future and reminding us that, throughout its history, it has always known how to democratize technologies that transform life on board. We will be following any future announcements regarding Cara's deployment with great interest, hoping to be able to converse with it on our roads soon.